IPL 2018: Biggest weakness of each franchise
All franchises go in to the IPL auctions with a set game plan in mind. Owing to the dynamical nature of the auctions, seldom is a franchise able to stick to their plans. Due to budget constraints and the dearth of quality players, all teams are bound to have some weakness or the other.
Let us take a look at the primary weakness of each franchise, ahead of the eleventh edition of the IPL.
#1 Chennai Super Kings- The age factor
CSK unsurprisingly opted to retain the services of their star players and veterans in the yellow jersey - MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina and Ravindra Jadeja. Dhoni, aged 36, and Raina, aged 31, are well past their prime. Jadeja at 29 also seems to have left behind his heydays, after having lost his place in the Indian side.
Having retained these three, CSK were expected to recruit younger prospects who can set the stage on fire. Surprisingly none of their first eight buys in the auctions were aged under thirty! Faf du Plessis, Harbhajan Singh, Dwayne Bravo, Shane Watson, Kedar Jadhav, Ambati Rayudu, Imran Tahir and Karn Sharma are all aged thirty or more.
It is important to note that this squad will play not just the upcoming edition of the IPL but the next three seasons as well. This squad would have been flawless half a decade ago, however, it may not be fit enough for 2018.